Greece's deadliest train crash triggers transport minister's resignation, death toll tops 42

 

The Greek Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned Wednesday following a fatal head-on collision near the city of Larissa on Tuesday night between a passenger train heading from the capital, Athens, to the northern city of Thessaloniki and a cargo train travelling from Thessaloniki on the same track.

"It is what I feel my duty to do as a minimal sign of respect to the memory of the people who died so unjustly, taking responsibility for the chronic shortcomings of the Greek state and political system," he mentioned.

According to the Greek national news agency AMNA, the government has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the deadly train disaster that has killed at least 43 people so far.

The death toll could increase further, said Greek Fire Service spokesperson Vasilios Vathrakogiannis, adding 72 people were still in hospitals, including 6 in intensive care units, as of midday Wednesday.

Based on the information provided by the Hellenic Train railways operator, 342 passengers, and 10 employees were onboard the passenger train at the time of the crash, while two employees were on the cargo train, Vathrakogiannis further mentioned.

Shortly before the transport minister's resignation, the train station master in the central city of Larissa was detained and charged with manslaughter through negligence for the massive collision, AMNA cited local police as saying.

About 250 passengers were evacuated safely by bus to Thessaloniki some 130 km away on Wednesday. A search and rescue operation was still underway on the day, focused on the first three passenger carriages that exploded in flames from the impact of the crash, according to the Greek Fire Service.